Guard Your Independence But Be Tolerant Of Political Party Scrutiny
Those who delivered the 2016 results which led to the change of government through the ballot box for the first time since 1965 are still charged with the responsibility of exercising direction and control over the electoral system.
Registration of voters is the commencement of the empowerment of the citizen to determine representation.
Hence every citizen of the country should ensure that all those who are entitled to be registered are registered without any obstruction or delay.
The registration exercise starts with the filling of a claim form bearing the details of the claimant such as date of birth and address.
The political party monitoring agents are posted to take note of the details in claim forms such as name age and address to enable them to prepare for objections. They should therefore be seated where they could see and hear the process of making and adjudicating claims but not interfere with the process.
The claimant should know that there is the right to make a claim to be registered and to fair adjudication, so that one’s claim would not be unlawfully denied. Furthermore, he or she should be equally aware that the claims are being stringently scrutinised. This will deter unqualified claimants from taking risks.
The IEC would leave a legacy if it gives monitors full access to information regarding the details of claimants at the time claim forms are being filled by having them seated where they could hear and see the whole process of registration and gather information independently without any obstruction or interference.
If this is achieved the IEC would have delivered a successful registration exercise. Promoting intolerance against monitors is the quickest way to question the transparency and integrity of the IEC.
